Idaho Republican Introduces Bill To Prevent Ranked-Choice Voting From Rigging His State’s Elections

An Idaho Republican legislator created a bill to protect the integrity and fairness of Idaho’s election system. bill Tuesday was the day that the state sought to ban the practice of ranked-choice vote (RCV).

Below H0179It would be illegal to use county election offices. “ranked choice voting or instant runoff voting to conduct an election or nomination of any candidate in this state for any local government, statewide, or federal elective office.”

RCV is what critics refer to as “rigged-choice voting,” Voters rank candidates according to their preference. The voter can choose to vote for the second-choice candidate if no candidate gets a majority of the first-round votes. This process continues until one candidate has received a majority vote.

Dale Hawkins, the bill sponsor and GOP Rep. Dale Hawkins addressed the House State Affairs Committee. asserted The legislation will “simplify the voting process and maintain consistency in [Idaho’s] electoral process.”

“We support the prohibition of ranked-choice voting and instant run-off voting in any local, statewide, or federal election held in the state to ensure every vote is counted accurately and the candidate with the most votes is elected,” He stated.

According to a Local news outletIdaho does not currently have ranked-choice voting.

Alaska and Maine are the only states that have such a system. However, their respective elections after implementing RCV resulted in outcomes that clearly do not reflect the wishes of voters. Bruce Poliquin, the then-incumbent GOP Rep. in Maine. Loss Democrat Jared Golden won the 2018 midterms despite Poliquin receiving the most votes in round one. This is due to the state’s ranked-choice electoral system.

Similar, Mary Peltola (Democrat) in Alaska You won The state had its at-large congressional seat last yea even though “nearly 60 percent of voters cast[] their ballots for a Republican.” RCV played an important role in helping Alaska GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski defeat a challenge by Kelly Tshibaka, former President Donald Trump’s backer, during the 2022 midterms. The system allowed her to win due to being listed second on Alaska Democrats’ ranked-choice ballots.

Idaho is also a great place to live. North Dakota It is also looking into legislation to ban ranked-choice voting in elections. This move is in line with the Republican National Committee. Disavowed RCV at its last month’s meeting.

Shawn Fleetwood, a staff writer for The Federalist, is a graduate of The University of Mary Washington. He is also a Convention of States Action state content writer. His work has been featured on numerous outlets including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood